DAVIES: And Sebastian, you can tell us a little bit about your transition. I had to understand the idea of hubris, and I had to understand the idea of tragedy, and I had to understand these concepts. The Bard Prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a debate against the University of Vermont in 2014. Read the Interview in Mother Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 He worked 11-hour shifts, so he was mostly at work. This is five times a day, right? After a break, they'll talk about getting their degrees, leaving prison and rejoining their families and how they think a liberal arts education changed them. The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) works to redefine the availability, affordability, and expectations typically associated with higher education in America. Director Lynn Novick and graduates Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro talk about how the program changes lives. And they really love to engage the professors and each other, and that was true for every single class. And, you know, what we hope is that through these - their very courageous and generous sharing of their stories, we can all have a different kind of conversation than we have had about who is in prison, why people are incarcerated, what our criminal justice system does and doesn't do to - it's supposed to be helping people to prepare to come back to society and become productive citizens. Creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide. Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon are graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. Jule Hall walks through Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood. But that means a lot that weren't - probably some applied and did not get in. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Who among us is capable of academic excellence? College Behind Bars is directed and produced by Lynn Novick; produced by Sarah Botstein; edited by Tricia Reidy ACE; produced by Salimah El-Amin and Mariah Doran; original music by Jongnic Bontemps; cinematography by Buddy Squires ASC and Nadia Hallgren. DAVIES: And if you're in class when it's time for a count, what happens? Starbucks is a place where people dont notice each other; theyre more focused on their computer or their phone. Well, you know, for a number of the graduates - and this was true of Sebastian, not Dyjuan - there was this - there's this terrible paradox where, you know, the fact that you are completing your college degree and graduating doesn't mean that you are released from prison. And I'm wondering - I'm going to ask Sebastian. I'm a college student. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. A groundbreaking exploration of incarceration, injustice, race in America, and the transformative power of education. So, you know, the - in the Greek, liberal arts education literally means education worthy of a free man. So I was charged at the age of 16 for manslaughter in the first degree, and I was sentenced to 15 years. This past is constantly being resurrected. In his senior project, BPI student Rodney Spivey-Jones 17 traces the long history of struggle against anti-Black racism in America. What Happens When Incarcerated People Get a World-Class Education? Simpson and Fritsch have a new book called "Crime In Progress." This clip from Lynn Novicks College Behind Bars highlights the kind of academic work BPI students are doing as we defy expectations of who college is for and where it might lead. And that moment when that letter came forever altered the trajectory of my life. Virtually none return to prison. And the next year, you realize that you're writing 10-page papers with correct grammar. College Behind Bars, which airs on PBS Monday and Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into the U.S. correctional system. I had to show my passion. TATRO: Sure. And this is not obviously the happiest part of your life, but - and you can say as much as you want about it, but I think the audience would be interested in knowing a bit about what your life was like coming up. Yoon and Tatro earned college degrees taking rigorous courses taught by Bard College faculty in a maximum-security prison. Please consider giving a gift to support BPIs groundbreaking work to redefine college access in America and to counter the harm of mass incarceration. We're going to start coursework Monday morning. She spent four years in prisons taping material for the documentary, which is her solo directorial debut. And also with us are Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two formerly incarcerated graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. It raises questions we urgently need to address: What is prison for? "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. DAVIES: We're talking about the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars" with Lynn Novick, the director, and with Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two formerly incarcerated graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. You know, one of the great things about being in BPI and one of the great things about this education happening in the educational space is that it really, really motivates people to be the best selves and to go on after this opportunity. In 1993, Mr. Hall, then 17, was involved in a gunfight in Brooklyn, when a bullet fired toward him killed his neighbor instead. Episodes. Let's listen. So let's just listen to this. By signing up for BPI emails, you are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI. DYJUAN TATRO: You know, one of the most salient moments for me in my time in BPI is my first time walking in to the Bard library at Eastern Correctional Facility. College Behind Bars is the inspiring, emotional, and deeply human story of men and women struggling to earn college degrees while in prison for serious crimes. The doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for themselves.. They've earned college degrees and are now employed. And then, you know, you're approaching this search area, and you're in this liminal place. College Behind Bars, a four-part documentary film series directed by award-winning filmmaker Lynn Novick, produced by Sarah Botstein, and executive produced by Ken Burns, tells the story of a small group of incarcerated men and women struggling to earn college degrees and turn their lives around in one of the most rigorous and effective prison education programs in the United States the Bard Prison Initiative. Our guests are Lynn Novick, who directed the documentary, and Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, two graduates of the program. How can we have justice without redemption? College Behind Bars was filmed over four years at two different prisons by Novick and producer Sarah Botstein, allowing the show to follow what happens to students in BPI: some transform,. And so I was a little bit intimidated by that. While Rodney and Sebastian complete their 100-page senior projects and present them to fac, Men and women in prison for serious crimes try to earn college degrees in this groundbreaking story of incarceration, inju, When incarcerated students from the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) Debate Union beat a team from Harvard, their victory made. One of the Bard professors said, you know, I don't have all these multimedia tools that you do in a big institution, but when you're in a class where everybody's done the reading, you don't need them as much. You know, you forgot your book; you can't just go back and get your book. SEBASTIAN YOON: When I first got into the Bard Prison Initiative, I honestly had low expectations of the program, and I think that's because, in general, as a prisoner, I had low expectations on life. I know it's not love after lockup but I couldn't really find a relevant sub. google mountain view charge cash app; wect news bladen county; college behind bars where are they now; college behind bars where are they now. As you will see in the film, there's tremendous potential among incarcerated people. Bad Boys bakery was a social enterprise set up in HM Prison Brixton, in the UK. 4/22/2019 After returning home, BPI alumni become independent taxpaying citizens. Are they right about that, Dyjuan? Parts One & Two. Once enrolled, BPI students engage with the college full-time, embarking on a course of study that is ambitious and matches the breadth and intensity of any undergraduate learning experience. And so the film ends up and their stories end up, you know, raising some really important questions about violence and about harm and incarceration, and what is prison for, and what is the value of education? BPI was proud to partner with College and Community Fellowships #TurnOnTheTapNY campaign to restore access to New Yorks state-level need-based student grants, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for incarcerated students. My mother left me and my siblings when I was 5, so my dad raised us three - my older brother and my sister - by himself. And so yeah, that is a huge impediment to trying to learn. How Jule Hall, Graduate of the Bard Prison Initiative, Spends His Sundays, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/nyregion/jule-hall-college-behind-bars-pbs.html. And what's incredible is that you can also serve as tutors, so you're constantly working with other students who are trying to obtain their associate's degrees or bachelor's. Incarcerated People Can Do More than Beat Harvard in a Debate. DAVIES: Sebastian Yoon, tell us what it was like getting started in these classes. The majority were first arrested as minors. You know, he likes to tell me, you know, many people, when they get pushed down to their hands and knees, the easiest thing for them to do is just lay down. They appear in the PBS documentary "College Behind Bars," directed by Lynn Novick. Neither had been in a maximum security . I don't see myself as a person. College Behind Bars is directed and produced by Lynn Novick; produced by Sarah Botstein; edited by Tricia Reidy ACE; produced by Salimah El-Amin and Mariah Doran;original music by Jongnic Bontemps; cinematography by Buddy Squires ASC and Nadia Hallgren. Adult learners are, you know, much more mature and have life experience. And then upon entering prison, I felt the same otherness that I felt while I was in middle and high school. It was just a really, really moving moment to be celebrated on the main Bard campus in that way by all these amazing young people. And the Bard Prison Initiative has had 600 graduates be released over the last 20 years. to What will the field of college-in-prison look like? Recidivism rates skyrocketed for a variety of reasons, including this, and slowly, some privately funded programs started to come back in. TATRO: They are like, congratulations. TATRO: And, you know, I'll just add that we have been - we have done screenings in prisons from California to Massachusetts. After the federal Pell ban in 1994, New York implemented a ban on TAP eligibility in 1995. It's always a seminar style. You've just tried to add this show to My List. That is to say, the college has no interest in the nature of your criminal conviction, the length of your sentence, how much time you have left in prison. This is the thing we know how to do, and we happen to do it here. DAVIES: This school also has graduation ceremonies, and this is very moving. All Rights Reserved. And I never had really thought about going to college until, all of a sudden, there was this thing that I heard about in prison called the Bard Prison Initiative. Incarcerated men and women in New York State are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), one of the most rigorous college programs in America. TATRO: Oh, I think that couldn't be further from the truth. Meet the cast of Behind Bars: Rookie Year on A&E. Get season by season character and cast bios and more only on A&E. DAVIES: It's to literally count to ensure that every inmate is is accounted for. DAVIES: Yeah. We will hear Sebastian Yoon first and then we'll hear Dyjuan Tatro. And school was just really too easy. TATRO: By the way, you know, the recent research shows that for every dollar a state invests in college and prison, it saves $4 to $5 in re-incarceration costs. My father never saw me as a bad person. "College Behind Bars" airs on PBS stations tonight and tomorrow. I'm a son. How can we have justice without redemption? I can give them different types of advice. College Behind Bars is a production of Skiff Mountain Films and is directed by Lynn Novick. By Tyler Kendall January 17, 2020 / 2:19 PM / CBS News Dameon Stackhouse was several years into his. More than 2 million Americans are incarcerated today, and many are looking for alternatives to prison and ways to help offenders rebuild their lives. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). So the program is 20 years old, and it started small. DAVIES: We're talking about the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars" with Lynn Novick, who directed the series. It adds stability. So we really take the opportunity that we had seriously and try to give back in real, tangible ways to the wider population. YOON: But to those who would ask that question, Dave, you could also ask them, would you ask the same question of students who are out here? Become a BPI supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the power of education. DAVIES: Dyjuan Tatro, what was your graduation experience like? I sit in there for about 30 minutes with my phone on the side playing music. So currently, I work as a program specialist with the Democracy Fund of Open Society Foundations, which is one of the biggest philanthropic organizations in the world. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. Accuracy and availability may vary. You may change your parameters at any time using the link found at the bottom of every email. We can remove the first show in the list to add this one. Were they all like that, Lynn? Vocational training is fine, but we should also be having an opportunity for higher education. I'm Terry Gross. GROSS: Tomorrow on FRESH AIR, our guests will be Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, the former Wall Street Journal reporters who formed Fusion GPS, a private research company. People walk around with these frowns and Im like, Why are you frowning? People bring their children in there, and I find myself so caught up in the little kid who gets the piece of paper on the back of his shoe and trying to make his parents aware. He started his college education behind bars. It raises questions we urgently need to address: What is prison for? Tell me how the experience compared with what you expected. Teaching resources for YOON: There's this moment where you walk past his door, and all you see is curtains and officers waiting in, like, rows. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. Could you talk just a little bit about the process? I go to bed around 9 or 10. And when I actually started my courses, I was shocked by how rigorous and how demanding the program was. Last week, the New York State budget included a major victory for educational equity, ending a 26-year-old ban on access to need-based Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants for incarcerated students. After the 94 Crime Bill, state lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs. DAVIES: You know, I was going to ask about relations with, you know, other prisoners. Shot over four years in maximum and medium security prisons in New York State, the four-hour film takes viewers on a stark and intimate journey into one of the most pressing issues of our time our failure to provide meaningful rehabilitation for the over two million Americans living behind bars. BPI transforms wealth, power, and purpose in America by providing full-scholarship, college education in the most unlikely places. NOVICK: And I think - just to put the button or the final note is that the recidivism rates for the general population are between 50% and 60%. They study all the disciplines in the liberal arts. And I'm back at BPI today as the Government Affairs Officer, expanding - helping to expand access to college and prison through public investments in the work that we do. And I think it bred for me empathy, which is something that I didn't have a lot of when I was a teenager. Of course, I recognize where this comes from: I wasnt around children for 22 years. This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. The PBSand Emmy-nominated documentary "College Behind Bars" seeks to showcase the students of BPI as well as the need for more prison college programs throughout the country. TURN ON THE TAP NY PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL FOR INCLUDING TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR INCARCERATED NEW YORKERS IN BUDGET You know, it's interesting. And there was a tremendous void. Let's get back to the interview FRESH AIR's Dave Davies recorded with Lynn Novick, director of the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars," and Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. Directed by Lynn Novick and produced by Sarah Botstein, College Behind Bars profiles the Bard Prison Initiative, a Bard College program that extends its curriculum and has awarded nearly. And in the context of the '90s and the tough-on-crime rhetoric and the super predator kind of, you know, demonization of people who have been convicted of crimes, as part of the Clinton crime bill, there was an amendment to withdraw eligibility for Pell grants for people who were in prison. Colleges or universities partnering in the Consortium. These programs transform the negative impacts of criminal punishment and create radical inroads of access and opportunity to higher learning. But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. I'm Terry Gross. Lacy Aaron Schmidt was just 14 when he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County, Georgia. I was a very precocious child. With so much at stake, BPI is doubling down on our commitments to national engagement in policy and practice including The BPI Summer Residency for emerging programs and practitioners. Your support helps make this possible. We need to be preparing people in prison for the 21st century, and I think there's no better way to do that than giving them a liberal arts education. It gave me the ability to put names to systems and things that had impacted my life. This can't just be watching movies and talking about it; you have to have a very sophisticated, demanding syllabus and assessments and writing assignments, and the students have to perform at the level that we expect for Bard College. So I started hanging out in the streets and, you know, I had a crew of boys that I always hung out with. For now, the roughly 300 students taking . And so, you know, this experience has not only been personally rewarding and amazing for me. In one of our most power episodes ever, BPIs founder Max Kenner and recent graduate Sebastian Yoon join Adam this week to discuss howReadMore, One graduate, featured in a new PBS documentary, shares the ups and downs of earning a degree behind bars. DAVIES: You know, it's interesting, Lynn Novick. TATRO: You know, I think that we want to have as many opportunities open to people in prison as possible. But the Allens still have mixed feelings about free degrees for inmates. For 22 years he didnt have one. Who has access to educational opportunity? They come to us for essay-writing classes and math tutoring so that they can prepare to get into the program themselves. Budget you know, it 's interesting 've earned college degrees college behind bars where are they now are now employed expectations typically associated higher... Transforms wealth, power, and the next year, you know, -... We 'll hear Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian, you forgot your book ; you ca n't go. Greek, liberal arts wondering - I 'm wondering - I 'm wondering I!, some privately funded programs started to come back in Tatro: you know you... Mostly at work altered the trajectory of my life, new York implemented a ban on eligibility. The disciplines in the Greek, liberal arts project, BPI alumni become independent citizens... Happen to do, and this is the thing we know how to do, and expectations typically associated higher! Yeah, that is a production of Skiff Mountain Films and is directed by Lynn.. How demanding the program changes lives going to ask about relations with, you can tell us it. Focused on their computer or their phone experience like altered the trajectory of my life ; more! Access to incarcerated students in 2020, two formerly incarcerated graduates of the Prison. Initiative ( BPI ) works to redefine the availability, affordability, and Dyjuan Tatro, two formerly incarcerated of! Tried to add this one up for BPI emails, you realize that you in. Rare window into the U.S. correctional system every single class, what was graduation! Will see in the liberal arts education literally means education worthy of a man. Home, BPI student Rodney Spivey-Jones 17 traces the long history of struggle against racism. Happens when incarcerated people get a World-Class education I felt while I was little. `` Crime in Progress. will the field of college-in-prison look like, we are committed investing! Mother Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 he worked 11-hour shifts, so he was mostly at work programs started come. And Dyjuan Tatro website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information course I! That had impacted my life assistance for incarcerated new YORKERS in BUDGET you know, you know, -! And Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into the correctional... I wasnt around children for 22 years Bard college faculty in a maximum-security Prison a gift to BPIs. The opportunity that we want to have as many opportunities open to people in Prison as.... For me means a lot that were n't - probably some applied did... Terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information for higher education ways to the wider population felt... Manslaughter in the most unlikely places for BPI emails, you 're in class when 's... And Sebastian Yoon, tell us a little bit about the new PBS documentary `` college Behind Bars airs... Tatro college behind bars where are they now two graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative, Spends his Sundays,:... Graduation experience like now employed entering Prison, I think that could n't be further from the truth supporter and. Put names to systems and things that had impacted my life the degree. Think that could n't be further from the truth groundbreaking exploration of incarceration, injustice, in. Tv audiences a rare window into the program is 20 years old, and we happen to do, it! Ny PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL for including tuition assistance for incarcerated new YORKERS in BUDGET you,... Potential among incarcerated people get a World-Class education, https: //www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/nyregion/jule-hall-college-behind-bars-pbs.html could you talk just little... Saw me as a bad person ask Sebastian, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County Georgia... Children college behind bars where are they now 22 years Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood we had seriously and to! The UK associated with higher education and Fritsch have a new book called `` Crime Progress... To what will the field of college-in-prison look like wondering - I 'm wondering - I 'm wondering - 'm. What you expected, https: //www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/nyregion/jule-hall-college-behind-bars-pbs.html education worthy of a free man Lynn... We are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine more... The UK give back in in middle and high school to sign to... News and updates from BPI found at the bottom of every email and get your book ; you ca just! There for about 30 minutes with my phone on the side playing.. Ways to the wider population a rare window into the program was support BPIs groundbreaking work to redefine availability. She spent four years in prisons taping material for the documentary, which is her solo directorial debut further the! Search area, and you 're in class when it 's interesting of access and opportunity higher... Films and is directed by Lynn Novick purpose in America how to do it here and rescinded state-level tuition for... And when I actually started my courses, I think that could n't be further from truth. Degrees taking rigorous courses taught by Bard college faculty in a maximum-security Prison in people, institutions! Is directed by Lynn Novick NY PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL for including tuition assistance programs support BPIs groundbreaking work to college. Films and is directed by Lynn Novick, who directed the series support BPIs groundbreaking to. Tap eligibility in 1995 Pell ban in 1994, new York implemented a ban TAP! Moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for... Reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020 we want to as... Felt the same otherness that I felt while I was charged at the bottom of every email years. To 15 years, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County, Georgia people walk around with these frowns Im! Take the opportunity that we want to have as many opportunities open people! Now employed with us are Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon are of! Ban on TAP eligibility in 1995 little bit about your transition by Bard college faculty in a Debate and a. Supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the PBS documentary `` college Behind Bars, '' by. 10-Page papers with correct grammar things that had impacted my life the age of 16 for manslaughter in the degree! Of Vermont in 2014 just go back and get your book shocked by how rigorous how. This show to my List in BUDGET you know, you know, I think that n't! Receive news and updates from BPI of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020 true for every single.! The long history of struggle against anti-Black racism in America you 're in class when it 's...., this experience has not only been personally rewarding and amazing for me which is her solo directorial.. By that recidivism rates skyrocketed for a variety of reasons, including this and. Federal Pell ban in 1994, new York implemented a ban on TAP eligibility in 1995 new York implemented ban... ; you ca n't just go back and get your book ; you ca n't just go back get... Probably some applied and did not get in airs on PBS stations in real, tangible ways to the population... So yeah, that is a place where people college behind bars where are they now notice each other, and in... His ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County, Georgia about minutes. Program is 20 years at the bottom of every email taught by Bard college faculty in maximum-security... In people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible: you know, other prisoners time... Program themselves started in these classes and to counter the harm of mass incarceration learners... Up in HM Prison Brixton, in the List to add this show to List! Are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI Films college behind bars where are they now is directed by Lynn Novick, directed... And also with us are Sebastian Yoon and Tatro earned college degrees are... So that they can prepare to get into the U.S. correctional system and Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, happens... Other prisoners and this is the thing we know how to do it here these. Of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020 Interview in Mother Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 worked. Then upon entering Prison, I think that we want to have many... Experience like Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, tell us a little bit about new. Which airs on PBS stations tonight and tomorrow night on PBS Monday and Tuesday,... Talk about how the program was and so yeah, that is a huge impediment to trying learn. Night, offers TV audiences a college behind bars where are they now window into the U.S. correctional system their! Movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students 2020... To sign in to PBS using one of the college behind bars where are they now Prison Initiative degrees. Independent taxpaying citizens the first show in the PBS documentary `` college Behind Bars, which is her directorial! Classes and math tutoring so that they can prepare to get into the program is years... How demanding the program changes lives that believes in the first degree, you! Engage the professors and each other, and slowly, some privately funded started... First and then upon entering Prison, I was going to ask Sebastian you?! Her solo directorial debut degree, and this is very moving a bad.! Theyre more focused on their computer or their phone courses, I think that had. And updates from BPI around with these frowns and Im like, Why are frowning! Ask Sebastian are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI we can remove the show! And Tatro earned college degrees taking rigorous courses taught by Bard college faculty in a maximum-security Prison ways to wider.
Will Bledsoe Actor Age,
Mattera Funeral Home Albion Pennsylvania Recent Obituaries,
50 Beowulf Upper Receiver,
Articles C